It has been announced that on the 25th March 2012 all Aer Arann Regional services will be re-branded into Aer Lingus Regional operations. This will mean an end to the Aer Arann brand and RE flight numbers. Aer Arann will still exist but operating this franchise rather than under it's own brand, they will still fly the aircraft and employ people and importantly will still be flying.
Aer Arann has undergone huge changes in the past year under immensely challenging times for the aviation industry. With the economic turmoil in Ireland, and globally, the introduction of huge hikes in APD in the UK, the loss of PSO routes in Ireland. Hopefully this new venture (similar to the way in which Scotland's regional airline Loganair operates) will mean stability and growth for Aer Arann and it's people moving forward.
It will be a sad day for me to see Aer Arann brand disappear, I've supported them a lot over the past few years, and the loss of any livery (despite how bland it became recently) makes aircraft spotting that bit less interesting, however I hope this 'tribute' video shows a fraction of the footage I've gathered of Aer Arann over the years. Stick with it to the very end to see how the brand will be displayed in future.
Good luck to the people of Aer Arann, thank you for the many great trips to Galway Airport and others.